Summer Reading
Before classes begin in August 2024, read and annotate Beloved by Toni Morrison (978-1400033416). You will turn in your annotated text the first day of class. If you need financial assistance purchasing the book, let English Dept. Chair Ms. Cates or me know: [email protected] OR [email protected].
It is imperative that you read only the book, no other resources or shortcuts, and avoid watching the film adaptation. If this proves too challenging, let me know, and we will work on changing your schedule.
Prepare your text for reading by labeling portions of the text, beginning with the Dedication and Epigraph; both of these are before the Foreword. Then you should number each chapter; perhaps do this in pencil as you may inadvertently skip past one. Read ALL of the text, including the Dedication, Epigraph, Foreword, and all 28 chapters. Annotate the text, selecting beforehand one of the following images to track throughout the text: hands, faces, fluids, animals, or food.
Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize winning Beloved is a complicated text, and it is three hundred and twenty-four pages long, the longest work we will study all year. Based on a real person and set after the abolition of slavery in America, this story compels us to wonder why we tell some stories and simply breeze past others. Beloved is non-linear, moving back and forth in time like a Christopher Nolan film, switches viewpoints, and contains mature, sometimes disturbingly graphic, content. My decades of teaching and study of Morrison’s works in writing my Master’s Thesis have equipped me to handle this gorgeous text with delicate care. In guiding students to a deeper exploration of the author’s work, we will strive to uncover Morrison’s reasons for crafting this narrative in such an unusual manner; while discussing the effects, we should also find ways to determine her intentions. That is, in fact, our goal. What is Morrison’s message, and why does it matter?
So, as you annotate, try to hear how the story is told. Discern the sounds of the language and see if you can find a central concern that presents itself in the story. Pay attention to names, characterization, setting, and how characters influence plot points. Track one of the images mentioned above (hands, faces, fluids, animals, or food). Get curious about the story’s twists and turns. Write notes in your own words about each chapter to remind yourself what happens as you notice how specific devices elicit effects on the page and in your imagination. Worry less about “getting” what Morrison is trying to communicate and more about how the text influences your understanding. Offer your personal insights and questions throughout the work to demonstrate active engagement and metacognition.
Students frequently ask if three-level annotations are required on each page. The rubric is designed for me to assess the quality of your annotations, not the quantity. While we will be discussing the book for the first few weeks of the year, you will not have time to read and annotate it once school begins.
Your annotated text is due on the first day of class. Late work will not receive full credit.
Annotation Rubric (100 pt. Rehearse Grade)
Criterion A. Understanding & Interpretation: How well does the candidate demonstrate understanding and interpretation of the text?
Criterion B. Appreciation of the Writer's Choices: To what extent are literary terms identified and explored by the candidate?
Criterion C. Metacognition: How well does the candidate connect ideas on the page and beyond? Is the author's intention explored and identified?
Criterion D. Text Talk: To what extent do the annotations display the candidate's engagement?
I look forward to seeing you in August. Cheers! ~Mrs. Osburn
It is imperative that you read only the book, no other resources or shortcuts, and avoid watching the film adaptation. If this proves too challenging, let me know, and we will work on changing your schedule.
Prepare your text for reading by labeling portions of the text, beginning with the Dedication and Epigraph; both of these are before the Foreword. Then you should number each chapter; perhaps do this in pencil as you may inadvertently skip past one. Read ALL of the text, including the Dedication, Epigraph, Foreword, and all 28 chapters. Annotate the text, selecting beforehand one of the following images to track throughout the text: hands, faces, fluids, animals, or food.
Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize winning Beloved is a complicated text, and it is three hundred and twenty-four pages long, the longest work we will study all year. Based on a real person and set after the abolition of slavery in America, this story compels us to wonder why we tell some stories and simply breeze past others. Beloved is non-linear, moving back and forth in time like a Christopher Nolan film, switches viewpoints, and contains mature, sometimes disturbingly graphic, content. My decades of teaching and study of Morrison’s works in writing my Master’s Thesis have equipped me to handle this gorgeous text with delicate care. In guiding students to a deeper exploration of the author’s work, we will strive to uncover Morrison’s reasons for crafting this narrative in such an unusual manner; while discussing the effects, we should also find ways to determine her intentions. That is, in fact, our goal. What is Morrison’s message, and why does it matter?
So, as you annotate, try to hear how the story is told. Discern the sounds of the language and see if you can find a central concern that presents itself in the story. Pay attention to names, characterization, setting, and how characters influence plot points. Track one of the images mentioned above (hands, faces, fluids, animals, or food). Get curious about the story’s twists and turns. Write notes in your own words about each chapter to remind yourself what happens as you notice how specific devices elicit effects on the page and in your imagination. Worry less about “getting” what Morrison is trying to communicate and more about how the text influences your understanding. Offer your personal insights and questions throughout the work to demonstrate active engagement and metacognition.
Students frequently ask if three-level annotations are required on each page. The rubric is designed for me to assess the quality of your annotations, not the quantity. While we will be discussing the book for the first few weeks of the year, you will not have time to read and annotate it once school begins.
Your annotated text is due on the first day of class. Late work will not receive full credit.
Annotation Rubric (100 pt. Rehearse Grade)
Criterion A. Understanding & Interpretation: How well does the candidate demonstrate understanding and interpretation of the text?
Criterion B. Appreciation of the Writer's Choices: To what extent are literary terms identified and explored by the candidate?
Criterion C. Metacognition: How well does the candidate connect ideas on the page and beyond? Is the author's intention explored and identified?
Criterion D. Text Talk: To what extent do the annotations display the candidate's engagement?
I look forward to seeing you in August. Cheers! ~Mrs. Osburn